The Nature Conservancy of Canada in Newfoundland and Labrador has finalized a landmark project with interesting natural and historical significance.
The not-for-profit, land conservation organization has officially conserved a 606 acre (245 hectare) site on the Crabbes River near the town of St. Fintan’s.
The land was donated by the descendents of Sir William C. Van Horne, who was featured in the photo of The Last Spike. The railway builder oversaw the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and was its president, leading the renowned Canadian railway during a time when it linked the nation from coast to coast. Van Horne acquired the property in 1900 and it was held within the family, until now.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada identified this area as a conservation priority for several reasons:
• Vast old growth forest; including white and yellow birch trees, white pine;
• Provides habitat for wild Atlantic salmon and buffers approximately two kilometres of a designated provincial salmon river;
• Habitat for a variety of rare plants along the Crabbes River shoreline, including the Long-styled rush, and the Clasping-leaf dogbane;
• Provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, such as black bear and beaver; and
• Forest and wetland support a diversity of migratory songbirds and waterfowl such as black ducks, American bittern, yellow warbler and redstarts.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada wishes to thank the Van Horne family for this generous land donation, along with organizations who made funding contributions to the project. They include: the Government of Canada through the Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP), TD Bank Group, through the TD Forests program, Echo Foundation; Leo Power, Rob Crosbie, The Charles Johnson Family, Sam and Ruth Ann Horwood along with many other individual donors.
